System's POV
chapter-284

In a direct confrontation against the people of Artem, Uncle Boo and the Unicorn, Albion, were at a great disadvantage.

Not only did their enemies have great numbers, but all of them were also incredibly strong. Because of this, they never succeeded in their attempt to save Callie from them every time the Lunar Eclipse appeared.

Thirteen had ordered the Wanderers to train how to run, while he asked Uncle Boo to gather all the Sovereigns and all the other Monsters that were Rank 5 and above.

The ten-year-old knew that once the Lunar Eclipse appeared, the majority of the monsters that they had gathered would try to escape so that they wouldn't be killed by the invaders from another world.

He understood that at the end of the day, these monsters would prioritize their own safety over others.

That was fine with him.

He wouldn't force them to fight.

However, he would ask them to do one thing, and that was to run toward the Gate of the Moonlight alongside the Wanderers.

This would give the humans, as well as the monsters, an equal chance to survive the upcoming calamity.

As long as they all headed in one direction, the people of Artem would have to focus their attention in one place.

This would allow Thirteen, as well as those who planned to fight, to concentrate their fighting power in one place, giving those who intended to escape a higher chance to reach their destination.

They'd be fighting against Otherworlders that numbered in more than a hundred, so they needed all the manpower that they could get from the four islands of the Arcadia Archipelago.

After teaching the three Sovereigns a lesson, Thirteen ordered his subordinates to guard the camp while he went to the Order of the Apocalypse.

He believed that he had given Albion enough time to calm down.

The moment he arrived at the Order, he immediately found Camazotz, who seemed to be waiting for his arrival.

"You're finally here." Camazotz chuckled. "I've been waiting for you, you know?"

Currently, only the Death Bat was around, so Thirteen paused and decided to hear what Camazotz had to say.

The Death Bat told Thirteen that he and Kamrusepa had finished creating the rules of their alliance.

The ten-year-old listened from beginning to end and found the rules to be satisfactory. He believed that the one who worked on it was mostly Kamrusepa because Camazotz wasn't eloquent enough to create a set of rules that would entice Thirteen to join the alliance.

"Is there a way to reinforce these rules?" Thirteen inquired. "I mean, if you or Kamrusepa decide to break it, I can't do anything to stop you guys. In short, these are just words that hold no power."

"Ah, but it will hold power, Thirteen," Camazotz replied. "As long as Metatron approves of it, the contract that the three of us signed will become valid. Anyone who breaks it will be kicked out of the order and have their ranks demoted by one stage.

"You know more than anyone that we don't want something like this to happen, you know?"

Thirteen nodded because he also believed that Camazotz and Kamrusepa wouldn't dare to break such an agreement if they were going to be kicked out of the order and have their ranks regress by one stage.

A Rank 9 Sovereign and a Majin Prince might only be one rank apart, but this gap was similar to Heaven and Earth.

In order for Camazotz and Kamrusepa to regain their ranks, they would have to spend centuries and vast resources in order to recover what they had lost.

This wasn't something that anyone in the Order of the Apocalypse would risk because it would threaten their position.

"Very well, I agree with these rules," Thirteen said. "Where is Kamrusepa? I'm going to be a bit busy in the next few days, so it will be best that we take care of this matter now."

"She said that she needed to take care of something important in her Domain," Camazotz answered. "She just gave me the proposed contract and said that she will return after half a day."

"Okay. I'll return in half a day as well," Thirteen stated. "By the way, do the others from the Order know that the three of us plan to create an alliance?"

"They probably know." Camazotz shrugged. "I mean, even the other members have their own factions and alliances within our organization. It really isn't really a big deal. I also have a feeling that they don't really care about it.

"In their point of view, they would benefit more from your death than from using you as a strategic option to unlock the other layers of the treasury of the apocalypse."

Thirteen smiled faintly, finding it ironic. Not so long ago, Camazotz was one of those who wished to kill him, wanting to benefit from his death.

But now, the Death Bat, as well as the most powerful Seer within the order, had decided to form an alliance with him. Truth be told, this was something he didn't see coming.

Even so, having a Majin Prince and a Majin Princess as allies wasn't a bad deal.

After bidding goodbye to Camazotz, Thirteen headed to the treasury.

The first thing he saw when he entered the Treasury was the Unicorn in his demi-human form, looking at Thirteen with a serene gaze.

"Take me back," Albion said calmly.

After realizing that he might be trapped in a weird place for eternity, he decided that it would be best if he tried to negotiate with the boy who had managed to turn the tables against him.

"I will take you back, but I have my conditions," Thirteen replied. "But before I state my conditions, I will tell you the current situation in the Arcadia Archipelago.

"All the Wanderers on the four islands are currently staying on the Second Island. This was arranged to ensure that they would all have the chance to pass through the Gate of the Moonlight, which will appear in a random location on the Second Island."

Albion was surprised after hearing the ten-year-old's words. However, it didn't take long for him to realize that this setup was more beneficial for him. If all the Wanderers were in one place, then he didn't need to take the girls into the First Pyramid anymore.

"Also, I asked your Beholder comrade to gather all the Rank 5 Monsters and above all over Arcadia Archipelago to the Second Island.

"It's an uphill battle with just the two of you fighting all of them, which you have done for the past several decades. Your enemies already know what the two of you are going to do, so no matter how hard you try, the result will be the same.

"It will be best to use a different strategy this time to spice things up, don't you agree?"

Albion neither agreed or disagreed with Thirteen's words. He already had his own plan for saving Callie, so whatever the ten-

year-old planned was of no importance to him.

Seeing the disinterest on the Unicorn's face, Thirteen knew that it would be difficult for him to convince Albion to join his strategy.

But, in the end, he decided to just let him do as he pleased.

As long as Albion wouldn't interfere with what he planned to do, he would not stop the Unicorn in doing what he wanted to do.

"Albion, I'll make myself clear," Thirteen stated. "My sister is off limits. If she, for some reason, becomes the candidate for the Moon Princess, I will not let you touch her. One of the conditions that I will give you is that you are not allowed to do anything to her, or you will be automatically sent back here in the treasury."

The ten-year-old's voice suddenly became cold and indifferent.

"What you want to do and what I want to do are different," Thirteen said. "If you do not agree to the conditions that I will impose, then you will be staying here until the day you die. I sympathize with you, but the moment you involve my sister in your plans, you and I will become enemies. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," Albion replied through gritted teeth. "I will agree to whatever conditions you want."

There were many girls among the Wanderers, so the Unicorn believed that it was unlikely for that boy's sister to be the candidate chosen to become the next Moon Princess.

As long as that was the case, Albion would follow his original plan without fail.

Thirteen stared at the Unicorn with the same calm gaze he had earlier.

Uncle Boo had already told him what Albion's plan was, so although he didn't condone it, he would not stop it either.

Like he said earlier, both of them had people they both needed to protect.

The battle that they would be fighting in a few weeks wouldn't prove whose method was right or wrong.

It would only show who was left.